Cromarty Firth Natural Habitats and Wildlife
Habitats
The Cromarty Firth has one of the largest areas of intertidal flats within the Moray Basin (from Brora to Spey Bay). The uppermost parts of the Firth are muddy but the sediments become predominantly sandy towards the mouth at Nigg and Udale Bays. These sand and mud flats support a rich and abundant invertebrate fauna as well as mussel beds and extensive growths of Ruppia maritima (tasselweed) and Zostera spp. (eelgrass) in Alness, Nigg and Udale Bays. Alness Bay supports a particularly rich macroalgal flora with 21 species recorded.
Saltmarsh occurs within the estuary, particularly where rivers enter the Firth but nowhere is it very extensive. The most important areas are at the head of Dingwall and Udale Bays, at Alness Point and Nigg Bay and at the Conon Islands. The vegetation at the head of the Firth at the Conon Islands shows the transition from saltings on the outer islands, through herb-rich grassland and fen to woodland. Here, the invertebrate fauna is rich. Of further interest is the shingle bar and coastal lagoon at Alness Point. The shingle spit supports important breeding bird populations.
In contrast to the Firth itself the north and south Sutors are rocky headlands whose maritime cliffs support the only breeding seabird colony in the Inner Moray Firth. The coast to the north and south of the Sutors is also steep and supports other coastal habitats such as grassland and scrub.
Wintering Birds
The sheltered bays, intertidal flats and saltmarshes within the Cromarty Firth provide roosting and feeding grounds for wintering wildfowl and waders which regularly number in excess of 29,000 birds. The estuary attracts internationally important populations of four species of waterfowl (Icelandic Greylag Goose, Redshank, Wigeon, and Bar-tailed Godwit) and nationally important populations of a further four species (Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye, Curlew, and Scaup). In addition smaller numbers of Slavonian grebe, whooper swan, teal, oystercatcher and pink footed geese occur. These waterfowl form major components of the internationally important populations of these species which winter in the Moray Basin as a whole.
Breeding Birds
A range of breeding birds also occur in the Cromarty Firth, including colonies of herring gull, fulmar, common gull and greater black backed gull. Of particular importance however are approximately 300 pairs of terns which nest in the Alness and Nigg areas. The saltmarshes support small numbers of breeding waders including oystercatcher, redshank, and lapwing. Small numbers of ringed plover also breed within the estuary. The cliffs at the North Sutor support breeding razorbill, guillemot, shag, kittiwake, black guillemot and 4% of the breeding British cormorant population. The estuary also provides foraging grounds for nationally important numbers of breeding osprey.
Additional Wildlife Features
Otters are present on the estuary and common seals haul out on the sandbanks east of Cromarty Bridge. In addition a population of bottlenose dolphins regularly visits the Cromarty Firth. This is one of only two known resident populations in the UK and the only resident inshore population in the North Sea.
Conservation Status
Most of the intertidal area of the Firth is covered by the Conon Islands (171 ha) and Cromarty Firth (3,585 ha) biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest, which are of national importance. Parts of Nigg and Udale Bays have been declared a National Nature Reserve. The cliffs at the Sutors form part of the Rosemarkie to Shandwick Coast SSSI.
The estuary and the Sutors form part of the Moray Basin, Firths and Bays Ramsar Site and Special Protection Area under EC Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds. The Firth is also part of the Moray Firth marine Special Area of Conservation because of its importance to bottlenose dolphins. (see Moray Firth SAC for further information)
There are two RSPB reserves on the Firth, at Udale Bay and Nigg Bay. A public hide and visitor facility for Nigg was installed in 2003.
Conservation Sites
Cromarty Firth Ramsar Site and Special Protection Area
The site is a large, narrow mouthed estuary which supports the largest intertidal flats in the Moray Basin. The site extends eastwards for approximately 30km from the islands at the mouth of the River Conon to the town of Cromarty. The boundary of the site follows those of the Cromarty Firth SSSI and the estuarine section of Lower River Conon SSSI.
The Cromarty Firth qualifies as a Ramsar site because;
" It has outstanding examples of wetland habitat. The site holds the largest mudflats in Highland and at the mouth of the River Conon there is a rare surviving example of a transition from woodland, through scrub and freshwater fen, to brackish and finally saltmarsh communities.
" It regularly supports over 20,000 waterfowl in winter, including internationally important populations of icelandic Greylag Goose and Bar-Tailed Godwit.
The Cromarty Firth qualifies as a Special Protection Area because:
" It provides foraging grounds for a nationally important number of breeding osprey that nest in surrounding woodland, and a nationally important population of Common Tern.
" It supports a nationally important wintering population of Whooper Swan, and internationally important wintering populations of Bar-Tailed Godwit and Icelandic Greylag Goose.
" It also supports in excess of 20,000 waterfowl in winter, including nationally important populations of Wigeon, Pintail, Scaup, Red-Breasted Merganser, Knot, Curlew and Redshank.
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